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1: The Go-Getter

If there was anyone at the Clason-Hill Trust Corporation
who was a go-getter, it was Joe. He worked hard, worked fast, and was headed for the top. At least, that was his plan. Joe was an ambitious young man, aiming for the stars. Still, sometimes it felt as if the harder and faster he worked, the further away his goals appeared. For such a dedicated go-getter, it seemed like he was doing a lot of going but not a lot of getting. Work being as busy as it was, though, Joe didn’t have much time to think about that. Especially on a day like today—a Friday, with only a week left in the quarter and a critical deadline to meet. A deadline he couldn’t afford not to meet. 4 6 8 9

Today, in the waning hours of the afternoon, Joe decided
it was time to call in a favor, so he placed a phone call— but the conversation wasn’t going well. “Carl, tell me you’re not telling me this . . .” Joe took a breath to keep the desperation out of his voice. “Neil Hansen?! Who the heck is Neil Hansen? . . . Well I don’t
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Joe was desperately trying to land a large account. He took a deep breath.indd 2
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. . .” he said. Joe looked up into the concerned face of his coworker Melanie Matthews. “Yeah. Carl. Which was exactly why Joe doubted she would survive long in a competitive environment like the seventh ﬂoor. an account he felt he richly deserved—one he needed. hang on . He was a corporate broker looking for the right ﬁrm to handle an account Joe had nicknamed the Big Kahuna. . . Carl!” Joe clicked off the “talk” button on his cordless phone and made himself calmly set down the instrument. genuinely nice person. wait— c’mon. Joe had just missed his quota in the ﬁrst quarter. According to Carl. Everyone on the ﬂoor knew who Carl Kellerman was. you owe me one! You know you do! Hey. or BK for short. Joe didn’t even want to think about a third. “Was that Carl Kellerman on the phone? About the BK account?” Joe sighed. . where they both worked.THE GO-GIVER
care what he’s offering. “Yeah. we can meet those specs . “Joe? You okay?” a voice asked. if he wanted to make his third-quarter quota. Now some character he’d never heard of had
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21066_01_1-134_r4mw. Melanie was a well-meaning. who saved your bacon on the Hodges account? Carl.” He didn’t need to explain. and again in the second. . the boss at Big Kahuna didn’t think Joe’s ﬁrm had the “clout and leverage” to put the deal together. Two strikes .

Why? You want to go hear the talk?” “Yeah . this guy is a real heavy hitter. “I don’t think . “That’s it! That’s the guy. or just Pindar.” He ﬂashed a conﬁdent grin. Moments later he leaped up and walked over to Melanie’s desk. As Melanie walked back to her desk. . Clout and leverage .” She shrugged. right? Charges huge consulting fees. something about a big wheel consultant giving a talk somewhere next month? You called him the Captain or something?” Melanie smiled.” But Joe was not interested in some lecture happening a month away. . when the third quarter came to an end. “Pindar.” Joe said. . “I’m so sorry. Everyone calls him The Chairman. maybe. He was interested in only one thing—and that one thing needed to happen by the following Friday. . “No. . . “I was thinking. . . “Do you remember talking with Gus the other day. What’s his last name?” Melanie frowned. Joe. I know we could handle the
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21066_01_1-134_r4mw. “Hey. The Chairman. but all he could think about was what Carl had said.indd 3
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. “Hey. Joe sat lost in thought.” Joe snapped his ﬁngers. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it mentioned. works only for the biggest and best ﬁrms? Major clout. sometimes you eat the bear . Mel?” She looked up. “I just don’t get it.THE GO-GETTER
underbid and outperformed him.” said Melanie. Carl claimed there was nothing he could do about it.

Gus dressed like a high school English teacher and reminded Joe more of a retired country doctor than of an active businessman. With his relaxed. Why don’t you ask Gus?”
As Joe headed back to his desk. he wondered how Gus
had managed to survive this long at Clason-Hill Trust. and management kept him on purely out of loyalty. rambling phone conversations with poten4
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BK account. Joe didn’t believe the rumors. while Joe. “I have no idea how to contact him. According to ofﬁce rumors. it had been years since Gus had sold a single account. Melanie and a dozen others shared the open space of the seventh ﬂoor. his long. “Sure. Why not?” Melanie shook her head. There were also whispers about Gus that went to the other extreme—that he had been supersuccessful in his younger days and was now an independently wealthy eccentric who stashed his millions away in mattresses while living a pensioner’s lifestyle. He was pretty sure Gus brought in some accounts. I need leverage. but I’m gonna need some big guns to win the deal back. easy manner. “You’re just going to call him up?!” Joe shrugged. Some said Gus had gotten his ofﬁce because of seniority. He never saw him do any actual work. Yet Gus had an enclosed ofﬁce. But it was hard to picture him as a sales superstar. Any idea how I can get a line to this Chairman guy’s ofﬁce?” Melanie looked at Joe as if he were proposing to wrestle a grizzly bear.indd 4
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. Others said he’d earned it on merit.

Joe stopped at Gus’s open door and knocked softly. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m going to do exactly that. Gus.indd 5
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. it’s you.” came the reply. “On a Friday afternoon?” Joe grinned. “Yup. Joe. Joe was greeted by a cheerful voice belonging to a woman who identiﬁed herself as Brenda.” Gus absentmindedly ﬁngered a meerschaum pipe as he talked. “Of course he can meet with you. extended vacations. told her he needed to see the Chairman. found the dog-eared card he was searching for and copied the phone number onto a small slip of paper. she shocked him by saying. “One thing I have to say about you. Gus called out. Hardly a go-getter. From behind him.” He headed back to his desk. and I admire that. Can you come by tomorrow morning?”
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21066_01_1-134_r4mw. “Thanks.THE GO-GETTER
tial clients (conversations that seemed to touch on everything but business) and his erratic.” After a single ring. ”So you want to call right now and try to get in to see the man himself ?” Gus thumbed carefully through his large Rolodex.” Joe was touched. Instead. Gus seemed like a relic of times long past. “If there’s anyone on this ﬂoor who’s a go-getter. He introduced himself. and then readied himself to parry her stonewalling.” Gus nodded thoughtfully. which he then handed to Joe. He watched as Joe took the paper and punched in the number on his cordless phone. you’ve got ambition. “Come on in. Joe.

“After that. that’s it.” she replied cheerfully. no.” There was a brief silence. And even if he could. . again?”
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21066_01_1-134_r4mw. ah. don’t you need to check with him ﬁrst?” “Oh. “Tomorrow morning will be ﬁne. if that works with you.” continued Brenda.” he replied. Trade Secret? The man was willing to share his Trade Secret? He could hardly believe his good fortune. conditions. more or less.indd 6
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.THE GO-GIVER
“To —tomorrow?” he stammered. Is eight o’clock too early?” Joe was stunned. right?” “Of course. if you agree to his conditions.” he replied. yes. “Don’t . Was it even worth it to go on? Or should he cut his losses and ﬁnd a graceful way to back out now? “Of course. and you want to learn about it.” “Conditions?” Joe was crestfallen. “Ma’am?” he ﬁnally managed to say.” “Well. “You’ve heard about his Trade Secret. and what are his. ah. “Oh. “On a Saturday?!” “Yes. “You. “He’ll meet with you one time. Someone this Pindar character actually knew. Joe wondered if she had him confused with someone else. you know this is my ﬁrst time meeting with him. He was sure these “conditions” would involve a stiff consulting fee or retainer he couldn’t afford. he’ll want to set up additional appointments to actually show you the Secret. it might require the kind of high-level credentials Joe certainly didn’t have. .” came her unrufﬂed reply. ah.

” she said with a giggle.indd 7
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. And why had she giggled when she said that?
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21066_01_1-134_r4mw. Joe took down the address she gave him. In less than twenty-four hours he was going to meet with—what had she called him?—the Old Man.THE GO-GETTER
“You’ll have to hear that directly from the Old Man. mumbled his thanks and clicked off the phone.